The Portland daily press., 1887-03-18


follows:
The payment of the United States special tax as
a liquor seller, or notice OF any kind In any place
o1 resort indicating that intoxicating liquors are
mere sold, Kept or given away unlawfuly, shall
be held to be 1)rtglG Jdcie evidence that the per-
son or persons paying said tax and the party or
common sellers Of intoxicating liquors, and the
premises so kept by them common nuisances.
The State Commerce Bill.
The House spent nearly all this forenoon
discussing the state commerce bill A bill
of this sort was referred by the last legsla-
ture to this legislature. AS this session drew
to close about Feb. 22d, the friends of the
movement put in new bill embodying some
of the provisions of the United States inter-
state commerce bill. This bill was reported
to the Senate the first of this week with tie
recommendation that it be referred to the
next legislature. The Senate accepted this
report and the bill came into the House this
forenoon for concurrence with the action of
the Senate. The friends of the bill rallied
led by Noble. of Lewiston, and Libby. of
Burnham. They made their attack on the
system of freight charges on the Maine Gen.
trial. which they said were as high as in war
times, which Disseminated against small
shippers by undue favoritism for large ship
pers, and above all, which were higher for
some short hauls, as from Portland to Wat
eryille, than for long hauls in the same di-
rection, as from Portland to Bangor. Mr.
Noble made an able speech; and at another
time than In the hurried moments of the last
of the session. it might have carried the bill
Mr.. Libby, of Burnham, is himself an exten-
sive shipper of freight over the Maine Cen
tIal and is probably as well posted on the
subject OF freight rates and determinations
as any man outside of railroad circles. His
speech contained some solid facts which no
one disputed. Other gentlemen who favored
the bill were Messers. Randall of Augusta
and Condor, of Friendship.
The bill was opposed chiefly on the ground
that 1t was too late to hurry through bill of
such Importance. This was the ground tax
en- by Messrs. Looney, Shaw, Clark, of CAL
ais, and Roberts, of Brunswick. Mr.. Wake
field said If it Should pass it would ruin the
Knox and Lincoln and PROSTATE the towns
along the line. Mr.. Moore, of Deering, de-
Tended the railroad committee against hints
that had been made concerning its slowness
of reporting the bill.
Mr.. Hawkes., of Portland, who has been
secretary OF the railroad committee, and is
probably more conversant with the railroad
legislation of this session than any one else.
explains that the delay was caused by the
serious illness of the chairman, in whose
absence the committee did not feel like act
ing on measure of such Importance
The vote being taken, the House concurred
with the Senate in referring the bill to the
next legislature.
Convict Labor.
The convict labor bill came into the House
this forenoon, and, as was predicted, there
was lively time before it was passed. As
the conference committee reported yester-
day. and as the Senate agreed, the bill pre-
scribed that not more than twenty per cent.
of the convicts shall be employed in any
one industry in which free laborers of Maine
are employed, and that this shall not 60 into
effect until January 1st, 1898. On the ques-
ton Of concurring with the Senate fixing this
date there was a fight. 1t was moved that
| January 1st, 1885, be substituted, and on
| this motion the vote was taken by yeas and
nays. just before the vote was announced
| DR.. Adams of Litchfeld changed his vote.
| Then the clerk announced the vote, IS to 54
| In favor of agreeing with the Senate in fix
| ing the time at January 1st, 1888. AS a dis
| agreement would have sent the bill to con-
ference again and very likely caused its
| defeat, DR.. Adams's vote probably saved the
| bill. Having concurred with the Senate in
| accepting the report, the next question at
issue was the passage. of the bill to be en-
| crossed. On this question there was great
deal of sharp discussion. Mr. Harrington
| OF Norridgewock was against the bill. So
was O'Brien of Thomaston, Walton of
| DkoWnegan, and Moore of Deering, who
thought the bill was not drawn in accord
ance with business principles. He much
preferred the bill which the State prison
committee reported, but which the House
and Senate had rejected. For the bill the
| speakers were Mr.. Dow of Portland who
defended the judiciary committee against
some reflections that had been cast upon it
Mr.. Ryder of Springfield, Mr.. Roberts o.
Brunswick, Mr.. Shaw of Portland, and Mr.
Lombard of Windham. When the vote wa
taken the bill passed, 81 to So.
The Milk Quart.
The third committee of conference havins
disagreed over the size of the milk quart, th,
House appointed another, Messrs. Mamie.
of Augusta, York of Newcastle. and Puritan
Of Bowdoin. But the Senate fatty refused
to confer any more, as the bill passed tn
first Of the session stands unrepealed, ant
the small quart stays.
Notes.
The finance committee report Legislation
inexpedient on the proposition to reduce tn
State valuation of Pennington.
The bill to repeal the nisi clause of the di
yorce law has been referred to the next Leg
islature.